Galway traffic

Space Dog · 31-08-2020 7:41am

ben.schlomo wrote: »

You had a busker outside your window on a non pedestrianised street? So he blocked the footpath? Which street was it out of interest as i can't say I've ever seen a busker on a non pedestrianised street in town. Strange it's only ever happened to you. And you couldn't resist the bike phobia story.

I've seen buskers on Middle Street on a few occasions. Usually outside or near the church.

LostDuck · 31-08-2020 8:53am

Mrs OBumble what do you enjoy about living in the city centre?

Genuine question. It sound like you'd prefer living slightly outside of town along a bus route to work?

ben.schlomo · 31-08-2020 11:33am

That's Buttermilk Lane/Walk, pedestrianised too.

LostDuck · 01-09-2020 8:24pm

Really heart-warming seeing the number of bikes doing the morning school run in Knocknacarra this week. Next to the schools is still carnage with cars but nice flow of bikes (parents and kids) on the approaching roads.

Wonder how much is this boosted from the number of adults that got back on bikes during lockdown. The lack of bus services probably helped too!

Johnny_BravoIII · 01-09-2020 8:36pm

LostDuck wrote: »

Really heart-warming seeing the number of bikes doing the morning school run in Knocknacarra this week. Next to the schools is still carnage with cars but nice flow of bikes (parents and kids) on the approaching roads.

Wonder how much is this boosted from the number of adults that got back on bikes during lockdown. The lack of bus services probably helped too!

Some day we'll look back with disbelief that people and children fought for road space alongside flying metal boxes.

zell12 · 02-09-2020 9:29pm

Local news stated that one CityDirect route is returning on Monday
Eyre Square - Cappagh Road

Mrs OBumble · 04-09-2020 1:28am

LostDuck wrote: »

Mrs OBumble what do you enjoy about living in the city centre?

Genuine question. It sound like you'd prefer living slightly outside of town along a bus route to work?

Heaps!

A biggie: it means I don't need to own a car: mostly I can use public transport, or if I need a car the rents options are easy to get to. Walking distance of the rail/bus stations means that trips away are viable on public transport too. (If I got back from Dublin on a bus that arrived at 2am, and had to get a taxi to the suburbs, it would add a lot of cost / time / hassle to the trip.)

Central location also means I can easily take work contracts in different estates. Vs some suburb / job combos are difficult, eg if you're in Renmore, then Ballybrit is a PITA to get to.

Pre-covid, we could decide to go for a last pint at 10:55pm - and be in the pub by 11pm. With zero transport cost, or drink-driving worries.

Mid-afternoon good coffee or weekend brunch? I can't even count the cafes within walking distance.

Shops - all within easy reach. Need a pint of milk at 6:45pm: if I go right now and I can get it from Dunnes. Missed Dunnes, there are a few corner stores around, one open til 10:45pm even now.

No lawns to mow. No neighbours lawn mowers to listen to. No fences or trees to fight about.

No door-knocks from campaigning politicians, Mormons, trick-or-treaters, Phonewatch sales peeps, etc. (The electoral register and census people find us - the rest don't have the imagination to know people live here.)

fergiesfolly · 04-09-2020 6:59am

Soooooooo, you want the convenience of city centre living.
But without the inconvenience of people.

McGiver · 04-09-2020 9:22am

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Soooooooo, you want the convenience of city centre living.
But without the inconvenience of people.

Spot on. Basically, a bit asocial attitude and somewhat delusional. Sorry Mrs, no offence intended

City Centre living means convenience but also potential inconvenience from crowds/people. You cannot expect no people around while living in the city centre - anywhere in the world.

McGiver · 04-09-2020 9:26am

ben.schlomo wrote: »

That's Buttermilk Lane/Walk, pedestrianised too.

Flood St, the whole of Cross St and Middle St should be pedestrian only - with the exception of supply vehicles and some scheme for residents. No through traffic otherwise. The fact it isn't is laughable if you ask me.

Closing only the part of Cross St wasn't enough, that was long overdue and the situation at the crossroad of High St and Cross St was ridiculous for a city that markets itself as a fancy, tourist, fun place.

04-09-2020 10:21am

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Soooooooo, you want the convenience of city centre living.
But without the inconvenience of people.

McGiver wrote: »

Spot on. Basically, a bit asocial attitude and somewhat delusional. Sorry Mrs, no offence intended

City Centre living means convenience but also potential inconvenience from crowds/people. You cannot expect no people around while living in the city centre - anywhere in the world.

Its funny watching you make these statement to MOB while being guilty of exactly the same thinking yourself's with the close streets to cars, no cars into the city centre, get rid of parking etc etc.

You want the convenience of the city but without the inconvenience of people who want/need to travel into the city to go about their business and using cars is the way many want or need to make these trips.

donvito99 · 04-09-2020 11:02am

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Its funny watching you make these statement to MOB while being guilty of exactly the same thinking yourself's with the close streets to cars, no cars into the city centre, get rid of parking etc etc.

You want the convenience of the city but without the inconvenience of people who want/need to travel into the city to go about their business and using cars is the way many want or need to make these trips.

It's not the inconvenience of the people going about their business that they're getting at, it's the inconvenience to everyone that their convenience causes.

Mrs O wants that trappings of suburban living in an Irish Town Centre and basically wants the centre to revolve around residents only.

04-09-2020 11:41am

donvito99 wrote: »

It's not the inconvenience of the people going about their business that they're getting at, it's the inconvenience to everyone that their convenience causes.

Mrs O wants that trappings of suburban living in an Irish Town Centre and basically wants the centre to revolve around residents only.

I dont agree with Mrs O either, if you live in the city you have conveniences like she described but you have to put up with noise (from multiple sources), crowds, traffic, cars, bikes, small apartments/houses, reduced privacy etc.

fergiesfolly · 04-09-2020 12:00pm

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

I dont agree with Mrs O either, if you live in the city you have conveniences like she described but you have to put up with noise (from multiple sources), crowds, traffic, cars, bikes, small apartments/houses, reduced privacy etc.

Yes No. But bringing people into the city doesn't mean they have to be in cars. ParknRide would work wonders

Mearings · 04-09-2020 2:50pm

I blame Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Deane, Font, Ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerritt. They should have made the city streets wider.

McGiver · 04-09-2020 6:00pm

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Its funny watching you make these statement to MOB while being guilty of exactly the same thinking yourself's with the close streets to cars, no cars into the city centre, get rid of parking etc etc.

You want the convenience of the city but without the inconvenience of people who want/need to travel into the city to go about their business and using cars is the way many want or need to make these trips.

I never mentioned closing parking places. They can use cars, but not in the city centre. Park outside the city centre and then walk, cycle, use public transport. This is what happens in Europe and nobody questions it.

I think you are stuck in small-townist mindset or some sort of insularism.
This is a city and not the Irish countryside or some sort of a little town in the middle of nowhere. And this is Europe with limited land available not America with spaces available for massive roads and jeeps driving everywhere.

I was born in, lived in, worked in and visited multiple cities where they could organise their public spaces properly. Huge number of cars don't belong to modern European city centres, if so then only in a very limited and controlled way at most.

LostDuck · 05-09-2020 5:23pm

LostDuck wrote: »

Really heart-warming seeing the number of bikes doing the morning school run in Knocknacarra this week. Next to the schools is still carnage with cars but nice flow of bikes (parents and kids) on the approaching roads.

Wonder how much is this boosted from the number of adults that got back on bikes during lockdown. The lack of bus services probably helped too!

https://twitter.com/cycle_bus/status/1301822093194133504

ThePentagon · 08-09-2020 1:29am

McGiver wrote: »

As I said - the council are idiots.

They have only 5 shots (a systemic issue on its own) - and they shoot them at wrong places and in a wrong way...

They didn't upgrade the most important ones and they selected a wrong design.

We enthusiasts would make a better assessment and decision, and we're not rocket (bus) scientists. Even if they let people vote for the location and design of the bus shelters it would generate a better outcome.

I really don't know what to do with this council lot. I think I will send a letter to the council at least. It would be good if multiple people did the same.

Where are the new shelters? I'll have a look and take a picture which I'll send to the council along with the letter/email.

The location of the new bus shelters was influenced mainly by the commercial needs of the company that is paying for them, the advertising firm JCDecaux. Locations are chosen not to accommodate the needs of bus users but more for their potential advertising exposure. Any benefit those bus shelters provide for commuters is entirely coincidental : D

zell12 · 08-09-2020 7:47am

It is the NTA who decide where to locate bus stops and where to erect shelters on advice from the local authority.
Who funds the shelters, maintains them and gets advertising contracts..dunno.

what_traffic · 08-09-2020 9:20am

zell12 wrote: »

It is the NTA who decide where to locate bus stops and where to erect shelters on advice from the local authority.
Who funds the shelters, maintains them and gets advertising contracts..dunno.

Am pretty certain that JCDecaux pays for the shelters and maintains them in lieu for the advertising that it offers. So for Council its really only the capital costs of preparing the groundwork for the shelter, dont believe they have any influence on the locations though as "ThePentagon" outlines. Presume though they are keen on the busier bus routes.

what_traffic · 08-09-2020 9:31am

https://galwaybayfm.ie/podcasts/galway-talks-with-keith-finnegan-thursday-3rd-september-2020-2-2/

from 1:21:52 onwards

08-09-2020 9:43am

what_traffic wrote: »

https://galwaybayfm.ie/podcasts/galway-talks-with-keith-finnegan-thursday-3rd-september-2020-2-2/

from 1:21:52 onwards

Couldn't listen to any more of that clown that the snippet I head on the radio this morning. Surprised he stayed awake.

He has pi**ed off enough people anyway with his anti bypass nonsense going by the reaction.

what_traffic · 08-09-2020 10:12am

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Couldn't listen to any more of that clown that the snippet I head on the radio this morning. Surprised he stayed awake.

He has pi**ed off enough people anyway with his anti bypass nonsense going by the reaction.

What bypass is this?

donvito99 · 08-09-2020 10:14am

what_traffic wrote: »

What bypass is this?

The proposed bypass of the bypass. The one that will end all bypasses, until that's proposed to be bypassed - see outer Dublin ring road proposal.

zell12 · 08-09-2020 10:16am

what_traffic wrote: »

What bypass is this?

Mrs OBumble · 08-09-2020 11:08am

zell12 wrote: »

It is the NTA who decide where to locate bus stops and where to erect shelters on advice from the local authority.
Who funds the shelters, maintains them and gets advertising contracts..dunno.

Street furniture, including shelters, is council responsibility.

McGiver · 08-09-2020 12:13pm

ThePentagon wrote: »

The location of the new bus shelters was influenced mainly by the commercial needs of the company that is paying for them, the advertising firm JCDecaux. Locations are chosen not to accommodate the needs of bus users but more for their potential advertising exposure. Any benefit those bus shelters provide for commuters is entirely coincidental : D

So corruption/nepotism on top...excellent :cool:

LostDuck · 08-09-2020 12:30pm

what_traffic wrote: »

https://galwaybayfm.ie/podcasts/galway-talks-with-keith-finnegan-thursday-3rd-september-2020-2-2/

from 1:21:52 onwards

The man talks sense, get some solutions moving now that don't need to wait 10, 20, 30 years for this silver bullet wonder road.

Johnny_BravoIII · 08-09-2020 6:12pm

LostDuck wrote: »

The man talks sense, get some solutions moving now that don't need to wait 10, 20, 30 years for this silver bullet wonder road.

I can't see why anyone living in Galway would argue against investment in rail.
Specifically upgrading the lines at Claregalway, Athenry, Gort.
2-way fast rail serving the city with parknrides to the satellite towns.
Additionally, two light rail (GLUAS) lines serving the inter-city commuters from various city centre commuter hubs.
Priority give to buses walking and cycling.
Reduced access investivising people to leave the car at home.

This type of approach works.
It's best practice internationally.
It's a no-brainer.

We are blessed with truly regressive people in positions of leadership locally who seem to disagree with the above.
I'm not sure why. As a nation we have got the basics in population planning badly wrong in the last 40 years.

The bypass is simply a continuation down a roads-based solution to traffic which doesn't work.

The only hope for the city is E Ryan stays in power for 5+ years and manages to push solutions past the local opposition.

McGiver · 08-09-2020 9:21pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote:

We are blessed with truly regressive people in positions of leadership locally who seem to disagree with the above. I'm not sure why. As a nation we have got the basics in population planning badly wrong in the last 40 years.

That and the electorate is largely regressive too unfortunately... Both issues are linked.

McGiver · 08-09-2020 9:26pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote:

We are blessed with truly regressive people in positions of leadership locally who seem to disagree with the above. I'm not sure why. As a nation we have got the basics in population planning badly wrong in the last 40 years.

That and the electorate is largely regressive too unfortunately... Both issues are linked.

CowboyTed · 08-09-2020 11:21pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

I can't see why anyone living in Galway would argue against investment in rail.
Specifically upgrading the lines at Claregalway, Athenry, Gort.
2-way fast rail serving the city with parknrides.
Two light rail lines serving the city centre.
Priority give to buses walking and cycling.

This type of stuff is best practice internationally.
It's no-brainer stuff which has worked in countless cities worldwide.

We are blessed with truly regressive people in positions of leadership locally who seem to disagree with the above.
I'm not sure why. As a nation we have got the basics in population planning badly wrong in the last 40 years.

The bypass is simply a continuation down a roads-based solution to traffic which doesn't work.

The only hope for the city is E Ryan stays in power for 5+ years and manages to push solutions past the local opposition.

This is becoming like groundhog day....

Galway has

Low Population Density
Bad Weather

It has no bypass.. So all traffic has to come into the town. All commutes from the populated part of the town to any other city has to go through the town.

I am not against Public Transport but the town needs a bypass... Cycling is underused with what infrastructure they got.
Buses have merit but I would like to see a proper trial to see if Galway will use them at proper levels <25% at least...

At the moment like it or not, Private Cars are carrying the most people for space used... Just look at the numbers going across the Bridge... There is barely any cyclists maybe 1-2 while lines of cars...

Johnny_BravoIII · 08-09-2020 11:31pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

This is becoming like groundhog day....

Galway has
Low Population Density

Bad Weather

It has no bypass.. So all traffic has to come into the town. All commutes from the populated part of the town to any other city has to go through the town.

I am not against Public Transport but the town needs a bypass... Cycling is underused with what infrastructure they got.
Buses have merit but I would like to see a proper trial to see if Galway will use them at proper levels <25% at least...

At the moment like it or not, Private Cars are carrying the most people for space used... Just look at the numbers going across the Bridge... There is barely any cyclists maybe 1-2 while lines of cars...

Galway is dangerous for non experienced cyclists.
There is no cycling infrastructure in the city.
This is why there are low participation rates.
You understand this fact, right?

Galway regionally has low population density due to 40 years of bad planning, 1-off housing etc. How do we begin to tackle this issue?

You keep mentioned the fact that stuff needs to be trialled. Who is saying the opposite.

CowboyTed · 08-09-2020 11:50pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

Galway is dangerous for non experienced cyclists.
There is no cycling infrastructure in the city.
This is why there are low participation rates.
You understand this fact, right?

Galway regionally has low population density due to 40 years of bad planning, 1-off housing etc. How do we begin to tackle this issue?

You keep mentioned the fact that stuff needs to be trialled. Who is saying the opposite.

First there is a cycle lane continuously from Salthill & Knocknacarra to Ballybrit.... This is one of the main through-fares during peak hours yet few cyclists. That is infrastructure.

One off Housing is outside Galway issue but it does of course drive people into cars and makes PT near impossible.

Bad planning is bad planning... Can't take it back... It is what it is... It was bad planning that puts employment on one side of the city and people living on the other.

With a Bypass we can hopefully get more employers on the Westside... It makes sense... There is no job incubator in Salthill or Knocknacarra... The reason Employers are over there is they think it keeps them closer to Shannon and Dublin... If we actually have a business park(s) in Knocknacarra/Barna the pressure on traffic immediately reduces.

LostDuck · 09-09-2020 12:44am

You know the staunch advocates for the road don't even call it a bypass anymore? They call it a ring road, as it'll be surrounded with development and become like the existing ring road.

ChunkyLover54 · 09-09-2020 2:00am

CowboyTed wrote: »

First there is a cycle lane continuously from Salthill & Knocknacarra to Ballybrit

There isn't.

CowboyTed · 09-09-2020 3:17am

ChunkyLover54 wrote: »

There isn't.

Apart from the roundabouts it is continuous...

Where do you say it is missing?

what_traffic · 09-09-2020 8:53am

CowboyTed wrote: »

Apart from the roundabouts it is continuous...

Where do you say it is missing?

The large multilane roundabouts are NOT missing - thats the problem CowboyTed, but you already know this.
Where is the rest of your mythical underused network located? I know - do you?

Johnny_BravoIII · 09-09-2020 9:50am

CowboyTed wrote: »

First there is a cycle lane continuously from Salthill & Knocknacarra to Ballybrit.... This is one of the main through-fares during peak hours yet few cyclists. That is infrastructure.

It's bizarre that you would suggest the bike like from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit is suitable for anyone less than a very experienced cyclist.
The Hospital roundabout? Terryland? Do you really young, older, less experienced people trying to cycle in-and-around Galway.
You really have closed your mind to rational thinking here. You can't even identify that Galway is an unfriendly place to cycle a bike.

One off Housing is outside Galway issue but it does of course drive people into cars and makes PT near impossible.

Bad planning is bad planning... Can't take it back... It is what it is... It was bad planning that puts employment on one side of the city and people living on the other.

Groundhog day is right.
The solution to bad planning is not further regressive bad transport management.
By the way, I don't rule out the need to build the bypass. I'm just saying that the decision needs to be part of a progressive approach to town planning and transport management. I don't see any signs people with authority in Galway are thinking this way.

what_traffic · 09-09-2020 10:04am

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

It's bizarre that you would suggest the bike like from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit is suitable for anyone less than a very experienced cyclist.
The Hospital roundabout? Terryland? Do you really young, older, less experienced people trying to cycle in-and-around Galway.
You really have closed your mind to rational thinking here. You can't even identify that Galway is an unfriendly place to cycle a bike.

I don't find it a bizarre comment from CowboyTed. Its par for the course from them.
As somebody who is very experienced cycling in Galway City. Have been cycle commuting from Rahoon to Parkmore past 15 years and I do not even use this route to and from work for the very reason you point out.

gordongekko · 09-09-2020 10:26am

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

The only hope for the city is E Ryan stays in power for 5+ years and manages to push solutions past the local opposition.

All the greens propose to do is to tax things. A useless joke of a party. This man can even stay awake in the dail during a debate on employment rights.

gordongekko · 09-09-2020 10:32am

Of course even if there was a cycle route as per cowboys post it's not a route with a lot of cycle traffic on it. Why is there no route from renmore to ballybrit , mervue to ballybrit, doughiska to ballybrit. These areas are more likely to have people working in ballybrit than knocknacarra that would be willing to cycle to work if the infrastructure was there to do it.

LostDuck · 09-09-2020 11:25am

A good test of apparent cycling infrastructure is would you let your primary school kids cycle to school on it on their own.

Some short stretches, there's enough of a bridge of facilities, like between some estates and schools in Knocknacarra. But anyone that'd let their kids cycle through any of the Terryland routes to get across town obvious hasn't done it themselves.

Jazmin Harsh Gold wrote: »

Surprised he stayed awake.

gordongekko wrote: »

This man can even stay awake in the dail during a debate on employment rights.

Ah ye'll get great mileage out of that, must be short of valid points to debate!

Scienceless · 09-09-2020 1:16pm

LostDuck wrote: »

A good test of apparent cycling infrastructure is would you let your primary school kids cycle to school on it on their own.

Some short stretches, there's enough of a bridge of facilities, like between some estates and schools in Knocknacarra. But anyone that'd let their kids cycle through any of the Terryland routes to get across town obvious hasn't done it themselves.

Not a chance would I let my (secondary) school going kids cycle across/through Galway to school. It's not even an option for them as far as I'm concerned.
Luckily for us PT does the job quite well.
Do occasionally cycle to work myself as it's a much shorter journey
Galway has a very long way to go before cycling becomes popular IMO.

Mr_A · 09-09-2020 2:14pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

Buses have merit but I would like to see a proper trial to see if Galway will use them at proper levels <25% at least...

When a good service was provided to Doughiska / Renmore / Roscam / Parkmore with the 409 the use went up massively and it ended up providing 2/3s of all fares in the city. People will use good services- and even the 409 is pretty hampered by traffic etc.

09-09-2020 2:28pm

Mr_A wrote: »

When a good service was provided to Doughiska / Renmore / Roscam / Parkmore with the 409 the use went up massively and it ended up providing 2/3s of all fares in the city. People will use good services- and even the 409 is pretty hampered by traffic etc.

Aye, BE stated in the past that they want to make that a frequency of every 5-6 mins at which point a timetable becomes redundant. This is because demand is there as a result of the long QBC that exists for that route.

They won't do it until the bus priority corridor is built for the city centre as it would be a pointless exercise.

Once the bus priority corridor is completed, all routes will see significant growth

Now if only they could open their minds to saf3, protected cycling infrastructure, could easily get to 20% on that mode

CowboyTed · 09-09-2020 2:40pm

what_traffic wrote: »

The large multilane roundabouts are NOT missing - thats the problem CowboyTed, but you already know this.
Where is the rest of your mythical underused network located? I know - do you?

So cyclists have to wait at Roundabouts... That is a total of two roundabouts. Sorry so does everyone... Tell us how we are going to solve that one.

Don't care about me knowing or not... The route during peak hours is barely used and you want more infrastructure... Why?

The main aim of the transport plan is to make driving so ****ty people will be forced to use other means... Never mind the lop pop density, bad weather, hilly terrain and no bypass...

I will point out that those Netherland towns/cities have twice population densities, half the bad weather days, flat terrain and main traffic routes are not going through town...

The method of making driving worse and worse is just not working... Cycling hasn't moved 1% in 12 years...

CowboyTed · 09-09-2020 2:42pm

Mr_A wrote: »

When a good service was provided to Doughiska / Renmore / Roscam / Parkmore with the 409 the use went up massively and it ended up providing 2/3s of all fares in the city. People will use good services- and even the 409 is pretty hampered by traffic etc.

That is why I agree with trials...

CowboyTed · 09-09-2020 2:48pm

Johnny_BravoIII wrote: »

It's bizarre that you would suggest the bike like from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit is suitable for anyone less than a very experienced cyclist.
The Hospital roundabout? Terryland? Do you really young, older, less experienced people trying to cycle in-and-around Galway.
You really have closed your mind to rational thinking here. You can't even identify that Galway is an unfriendly place to cycle a bike.

Groundhog day is right.
The solution to bad planning is not further regressive bad transport management.
By the way, I don't rule out the need to build the bypass. I'm just saying that the decision needs to be part of a progressive approach to town planning and transport management. I don't see any signs people with authority in Galway are thinking this way.

Johnny they are turning the Headford round about into a traffic light and Hospital people can get off and walk (sorry but I don't have a problem with that becoming a traffic light either...

I totally agree with you on using the bypass to find the space to fill with PT and cycling. That is the chance to let the city breath enough to do these things and in fairness the City Council did as the planners of the bypass for just that.

I am also adding that we have the chance to also start putting a large business park in Knocknacarra/Barna...

what_traffic · 09-09-2020 2:59pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

So cyclists have to wait at Roundabouts... That is a total of two roundabouts. Sorry so does everyone... Tell us how we are going to solve that one.

.
..
The method of making driving worse and worse is just not working

Issue is not about waiting; its about the safe method to cross/turn said junction as a person walking or cycling.
Method? What is the method you talk about.
Is this your own method or who is forcing this method upon you?

Galway traffic

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